PARTICK THISTLE defender is desperate to win promotion, line up against his former club in the SPL and show them they were wrong to let him go.

CONRAD BALATONI knew there was life after Hearts – now he wants to prove it by lining up against them at Tynecastle next season.

The defender watched a string of team-mates end up on the football scrapheap after failing to make the grade when they left Gorgie.

But he has gone on to play a key role in Partick Thistle’s promotion push.

The Jags continue their title battle with Morton when they host basement boys Airdrie today and Balatoni said: “I was told I wouldn’t play at Hearts and I took it on the chin and moved on. I feel I’ve been doing well.

“I’ve never played at Tynecastle at first-team level and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. If I could do it with Thistle it would be great.

“Airdrie are fighting for their lives but we’ll go into this game with confidence as we’re on a decent run – and feel we can beat anyone at home just now.”

Meanwhile, Robbie Thomson will always be grateful to Scott Fox for coaching him at Celtic but puts that to one side to help dent Thistle’s title hopes.

The Airdrie keeper – on loan from Parkhead – was a schoolboy with the Hoops when Jags No.1 Fox was making a first-team push at Parkhead.

Thomson said: “I looked up to him and I’d say to myself: ‘I want to be like him’.

“It will be strange to come up against Scott. I played him in the summer in a friendly but this is the serious stuff.”